bbs- banana banana shot? (booty booty squad?)

ohm and the (not so) spooky ghost

He was always there, sitting in the same spot, at the same time, with the same cat by his side.

Ryan had stopped questioning it long ago, having decided that he had better things to do than question the boy who spent his afternoons petting stray cats.

So what if he spent his days petting and playing with cats? Good for him! Someone's gotta keep them company, he figured.

Something always seemed off about the boy, though. Maybe it was how he never wore a jacket, no matter what the weather was. Or maybe, Ryan realized, it was how nobody else seemed to notice the guy.

It seemed pretty weird to him. Did nobody else worry that the weird cat guy was gonna freeze his ass off when winter came? Or how he might've been homeless?

Then again, Ryan easily could've asked the guy some questions. But when you're driving past in a car, you can't exactly pull over and stop in the middle of the road, especially when you're on your way to work.

So one day, Ryan set out to go talk to the guy.

Of course, though, he ended up taking Buddy with him. Buddy was always good company, and since Ryan would be going on a bit of a walk, he figured Buddy could use the exercise.

Buddy was a great dog.

The two had been walking along the sidewalk, enjoying the cool morning air. It was just past eight, people probably on their way to work or school, or wherever it was that they went.

Ryan felt his stomach churn slightly as he saw the boy there once more, crouched down and smiling at a orange tabby cat who was rubbing himself against his leg. As he approached, Ryan quickly came to the realization that he hadn't thought this through at all.

How was he supposed to introduce himself? Was he just going to walk up and start talking? How do you ask someone if they've got other things to do?

While he was standing there, thinking to himself, Buddy must've seen the cat, and decided that it was time to play, because with absolutely no warning, Buddy took off. He ran, at full speed, towards the boy and the cat, the leash being yanked out of Ryan's hand.

"Buddy?! What are you doing?! Come back here! Don't-"

Oh.

Oh.

Buddy just ran straight through the boy.

What the actual fuck?

Ryan froze in place, staring in horror as the boy's image flickered slightly, the guy looking up at Ryan as if nothing had happened.  

He stood up, and Ryan had to take a step back because holy fuck, this guy was tall.

Ryan watched as the mystery man went over to Buddy, taking hold of the leash.

"He's yours, right?"

"Uh, yeah. Thanks for- for that. He's, uh... He's..."

Ryan didn't know what to say. Did he not care that a dog just ran through him like it was nothing? How do you even respond to something like that?

"If my dog ran straight through you like a ghost, how are you holding his leash?" The words come out of Ryan's mouth without him realizing it.

He laughs, and Ryan can't help but notice how the other's eyes are a faded blue, and how tired he looks.

"What makes you think I'm a ghost? That's a wild accusation, you know?" He pauses, giggling to himself, before smiling warmly at Ryan and continuing. "But... To answer your question, I can interact with things if I'm paying attention. Your dog caught me off guard. He's really cute though. What's his name?"

"His name is Buddy. And... And my name is Ryan."

"Oh! Well, my name is..." the other falls silent, staring intently at the ground. "I, um... I don't quite remember my name. It's been a while."

"So... You are a ghost?"  

"Oh, you didn't...? Hah! I thought that was obvious, considering you watched Buddy run straight through me."

Ryan chuckled. "That's true."

The ghost smiles, and Ryan can't help but smile back.

“Uh… maybe you should take him home. Buddy looks tired.”

Ryan nodded, and decided to say nothing about the dark brown, almost black marks that were on the other's hoodie.

His dreams that night were filled with dull blue eyes and the faint scent of smoke, and when he woke up, he felt as though he hadn't slept at all.

So he sat up, looked around, and decided he had to go talk to his ghost friend again.

“You're back?” The blonde seemed surprised when he saw Ryan coming towards him.

“Well… yeah. I'm back. You sound surprised. Were you not expecting the company?”

“Not really. Most people don't come back after the first time”

Ryan couldn't help the grin that formed on his face. “What, you have other friends?”

He found himself feeling a bit regretful at his joke, especially as the taller frowned and stared down at his feet.

“Oh. I, uh, I'm sorry. I didn't think that…” Ryan didn't know how to continue his statement.

“It's alright. You didn't know.”

There was a moment of silence between the two before the ghost spoke once more.

“Can I go back to your home with you? I want to play with your dog again.”

“It depends. Can I get your name?” Ryan didn't want to sound mean. He really didn't. He just wanted to be able to call the ghost something other than “that guy” or “the ghost.”

“I told you. I don't remember it. It's been a while since anyone's asked for it, and when you're by yourself for such a long time you have no reason to remember it, and…”  He looked upset as he shifted uneasily, and Ryan took note of how his image seemed to fade a bit.

“Right. I forgot. It's alright, you can come along anyways. But, actually, can you move around? Isn't there, like, some place you're bound to? You see that all the time in movies, I mean, but… it makes sense.”

“Huh? You… you mean it?” The ghost looked excited, and the sight of it made Ryan smile.

“Yeah, of course! You can't just sit here and pet cats for all eternity, you know. Come on, I live this way.”

While they were heading back to Ryan's house, one floating and the other walking, Ryan found himself thinking.

Who was this guy, anyways? How did he die? How long has he been a ghost? Can anyone else see him? Or does Ryan just look like some crazy guy talking and looking at thin air? What if-

“Bryce.” The ghost speaks up out of nowhere, his voice quiet and faint.

“What?” Ryan was confused. What did he mean by that?

“Bryce. My.. My name is Bryce. I remember it now.”

Ryan nodded his head. “That's a nice name.”

Bryce smiles slightly at the compliment, and Ryan can't help but smile back at him. He looked down at Buddy, and then up at the tall ghost hovering slightly above him.

“Well, are we going or what? You're just standing there staring at me, Brycey.”

Bryce giggles, and it's a warm, happy giggle that makes Ryan laugh a bit himself.

“You're the one with the house, you know. You lead the way.”

Ryan rolls his eyes, and begins to lead his two friends home.